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Practical Wanderlust

Off-Beat Couple's Travel Blog

Planning a trip to Colombia? We spent 1 month backpacking in Colombia and fell in LOVE with this amazing country. It was our favorite South America travel destination! Here's a super detailed 1 month itinerary for backpacking in Colombia, including Cartagena, Minca, Santa Marta, Parque Tayrona, San Gil, Medellin, Salento, and Bogota. Make Colombia your next vacation destination!
Latin America

Colombia Itinerary: Ultimate Guide to 1 Month of Backpacking Colombia

Last Updated:   November 16, 2019

Planning a trip to Colombia? We spent 1 month backpacking in Colombia and fell in LOVE with this amazing country. It was our favorite South America travel destination! Here’s a super detailed 1 month itinerary for backpacking in Colombia, including Cartagena, Minca, Santa Marta, Parque Tayrona, San Gil, Medellin, Salento, and Bogota.

by Jeremy 
54 Comments
Best Hostels in Colombia Where to Stay
Latin America

Best Hostels in Colombia: Where to Stay … & Where NOT to Stay!

Last Updated:   November 20, 2019

During our month of backpacking, we slept in a LOT of beds in Colombia, and stayed at at a LOT of different hostels. From cramped party hostels to isolated hilltop retreats, it seemed like no two hostels in Colombia were the same. To make things easier for you, dear reader, we’ve come up with the best list of hostels in Colombia: where to stay, and where NOT to stay!

by Jeremy 
16 Comments
Guane on the Camino Real hike from Barichara in the Santander region near San Gil, Colombia. To get there, just take a bus from San Gil! Read all about transportation in Colombia in our guide.
Latin America

30 Things Nobody Tells You About Backpacking in Colombia

Last Updated:   February 1, 2019

It has officially been 1 month since we took off for South America with only what we could fit in our backpacks. Our first destination? Colombia. We got a lot of weird looks when we told our friends and family we were starting in Colombia; looks that said things like “but you know there’s plenty of coke in San Francisco, right?” Well, friends and family, our month in Colombia was spent coke-free, but we did end up with a lot of questions. Like, why are the coins all random sizes? What’s tranquilo? And what’s with all the honking??

by Lia Garcia 
36 Comments
Latin America

How To: Self-Guided City Tour of Medellin, Colombia for Under $5

Last Updated:   February 1, 2019

The Medellin Metro is unusually beautiful. It’s above ground and, thanks to the hills it winds through, it offers some absolutely stunning views of the sprawling Medellin cityscape. Plus, you can get amazing views of the city from above by taking the Gondolas – they’re like an enclosed ski lift. For under $5 each, we were able to see the entire city of Medellin just by riding the rails, hopping on and off as we pleased, and taking the gondolas! Here’s how to see the city of Medellin in a day for under $5.

by Jeremy 
2 Comments

Lia and Jeremy are the married couple behind the Practical Wanderlust travel blog!

Meet Lia & Jeremy

A disaster-prone couple recently returned to Oakland, California from a year-long honeymoon. We share down-to-earth travel tips with a side of sass. Low key stalk us here and on social media!

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Recent Posts

  • The perfect 10-day Montana road trip itinerary! Visit Missoula, Whitefish, Glacier National Park, and Flathead Lake on this epic Montana itinerary.
    The Ultimate Montana Road Trip: Detailed 10-Day Itinerary
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  • Eco-Friendly Gift Guide for Travelers
    30 Eco-Friendly Gifts for Travelers: Sustainable Gift Guide
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  • How to plan a Lake Tahoe winter trip on a budget, from Lake Tahoe ski resorts to what to do in Lake Tahoe other than skiing, and more!
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  • Things nobody tells you about traveling in Nepal from all the places other than Mount Everest, to the food, to the spirituality of Nepal, to what's really up with squatty potties. Here's everything you may or may not need to know before you visit Nepal!
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  • Las Vegas on a Budget: a local's guide to saving money in Sin City!
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Recent Posts

  • The perfect 10-day Montana road trip itinerary! Visit Missoula, Whitefish, Glacier National Park, and Flathead Lake on this epic Montana itinerary.
    The Ultimate Montana Road Trip: Detailed 10-Day Itinerary
    Hiking & Outdoor Adventure, United States
  • Eco-Friendly Gift Guide for Travelers
    30 Eco-Friendly Gifts for Travelers: Sustainable Gift Guide
    Gift Guides
  • How to plan a Lake Tahoe winter trip on a budget, from Lake Tahoe ski resorts to what to do in Lake Tahoe other than skiing, and more!
    How to Plan an Amazing Lake Tahoe Winter Trip (on a Budget)
    Hiking & Outdoor Adventure, United States
  • [FLASHBACK] Copenhagen, 2016: 4 months into our year-long honeymoon. #ad Reeling from the disastrous end of our adventures in South America, we graciously accepted tickets home for Thanksgiving. We missed our families. We  were exhausted. And we were, for some reason, FIENDING for Cinnamon Toast Crunch. We needed a break, but we fully intended to return to South America and pick up where we left off.⁠
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Instead, we booked a cheap flight to Copenhagen. (Because there is always a cheap flight to Copenhagen, from either coast.)⁠
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2 weeks after leaving summery Santiago, Chile we disembarked into the cold 3PM twilight of Copenhagen, Denmark. Christmas Market season had just begun, and the city was decked in holiday cheer and Hygge. We slipped and slid down icy cobblestone streets with steaming mugs of gluhwein clutched in our gloved hands (logistics spoilers: we stocked up on cold-weather gear on Black Friday. Hayyy!).⁠
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Over the next week, we fell head over heels in love with Copenhagen, with its castles, its canals, its tiny mermaid statue, its Theme Park in the center of the city (the 2nd oldest in the world!), its ridiculously good coffee, its fancy open-faced sandwiches (smørbrød is the OG avo toast, don't @ me), its somewhat random self-governed anarchist commune, even the hordes of Danes on bikes whizzing past us. The culture shock revived our waning excitement for long-term travel, and we've had a deep love for Copenhagen ever since.⁠
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Although we haven't had a chance to return (except for a few connections through the airport, which is always a treat because it is the BEST airport), we're forever eyeing flights to Copenhagen, waiting for the right time to come back. And now that we've got a copy of the @MoonGuides Copenhagen & Beyond book, we've got everything we need to plan our next trip! The guide includes a detailed local's guide to Copenhagen, plus several chapters on day trips from Copenhagen, including our favorite: the fairytale castle that served as the setting for Shakespeare's Hamlet.
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Is Copenhagen on your bucket list? (Ahem: IT SHOULD BE) If not, tell us about a trip that was exactly what you needed in the comments below. #travelwithmoon
  • Imagine that someone offered you an incredible opportunity. What would make you turn it down? How would you feel saying no?
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Since starting this blog and embarking on the ridiculous, amazing journey of traveling and writing for a living (forever pinching myself), a lot of incredible opportunities have come my way. Opportunities that just about anyone would (and should) jump at headfirst. (I was going to list off a few of the ones I still feel pangs of longing about, but couldn't find a way to not make it sound like a list of self-congratulatory, obnoxious bragging, so y'all get the vague version instead. Sorry! DM me if you're nosy 🧐)
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But I don't take them all. I can't.
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Here are a few reasons I've turned trips (it's usually trips) and opportunities down:
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😓 The dates overlap with precious time I'd otherwise be spending with loved ones, like Thanksgiving, or our annual friends weekend in Lake Tahoe.
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😓 The dates overlap with our wedding anniversary. This one has come up several years in a row - turns out we got married in the middle of conference season 😂
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😓 The trip is too close to a long stretch of travel, which would push me to my mental and physical limits. I have learned this lesson the hard way so many times (still learning/not listening, tbh...)
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I've had to learn how to say no with gratitude and forgiveness (the gratitude for the opportunity offered, the forgiveness is for myself for turning it down). I feel guilt and regret, of course, but I also feel proud of myself for boundary-setting, listening to my body, and prioritizing time with my loved ones - because all the opportunity in the world means nothing to me if I have nobody to celebrate it with.
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My cup is so full. I'm so full of gratitude and joy. And I'm doing my best to stay humble and grounded with the people who have cheered me along on this path.
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Have you ever turned down an opportunity that like, physically hurt to say no to?? Tell me about it in the comments!
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#alwaysthankful #gratefuleveryday #stayhumble #sanfranciscolove #findyouradventure #wandermore #travelblogging
  • There's nothing that a good hair day, some bright red lipstick, and a cold beer can't fix, amiright?? OK - maybe not, but they certainly don't HURT.⁠ Bright lipstick is my go-to confidence improving trick - AND it works even on bad hair days 💄⁠
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But can we talk about the good hair day I'm having in this photo though?! For the first time in my entire life, I've finally figured out how to have Good Hair. Until this year, I was insecure AF about my superfine, extremely thin hair. It wasn't straight and it wasn't curly - it was just like a frizzy, thin, halfhearted flyaway thing with no real shape. When I straighten it you can tell how incredibly thin my hair is - like, the end of my braid is about the width of a pencil, y'all.⁠
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And then I discovered the Curly Girl Method, and everything changed. Turns out that frizz is just a thirsty curl, and with the right combination of products & application technique (and a little bit of magic ... and some science), you can turn frizzy, wavy hair into luscious, bouncy CURLS! Now I have shiny, fabulously curly hair, and it feels like my hair finally matches my personality in a way it hasn't since it was 1/2 pink (college Lia was perfectly suited for pink hair). I no longer feel like I need to wear clip-in extensions to have a good hair day, like I used to. Sure, I now tote around a bunch of hair supplies like a silicon diffuser and a tiny blow-drier and a hair towel and like 3 back-up containers of gel, but LOOK AT MY HAIR. Look at it! It's so worth it.⁠
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I'm still learning about what my hair likes & doesn't like and I don't really understand all the science behind curly hair just yet. But if you're curious, I use lightweight DevaCurl shampoo & conditioner, plus this bright blue LA Looks sport gel that's hella cheap from CVS or Walgreens and looks like the kind of gel a middle schooler in the 90's would use to spike their hair. You'll find all kinds of information by googling the Curly Girl Method or reading "Curly Girl: The Handbook." (This post is in no way sponsored, I just really wanted an excuse to brag about my good hair day.)⁠
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Do you have go-to moves to boost your confidence?
  • "Wait, Salt Lake City has BEER?" #ad We've heard this question from pretty much everyone we told about our trip to Salt Lake City to cover their beer scene, and we're here to say: y'all. YES. 🍻While it's true that the laws surrounding beer in Utah used to be quite restrictive, they've recently changed and given way to a blossoming craft brewery scene full of innovative thinkers who are paving the way for beer in Utah!⁠
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We spent the weekend drinking our way through 11 craft breweries, exploring this stunning city ringed by mountains, and learning all about Salt Lake City's fascinating Pioneer history. In total, we tasted 32 beers (and 1 beer-tini). It was a LOT of fun, even though my body straight gave up around brewery 9 and we had to make a pit-stop at a juice place for a wheatgrass shot. (Yes, it's all in our story highlights, and yes, I realize that's one of the most Californian things I've ever done). But although I tapped out in the last stretch, Jeremy picked up the slack and we finished strong! 💪Well, you know ... as strong as you can be after spending 2 days straight tasting beer.⁠
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Now we're hard at work sorting through all the photos we took and working on a brewery guide to Salt Lake City, with a few suggestions from friends (thanks to @wayfaringviews, who has a fantastic SLC beer guide on her blog, and resident SLC blogger @culturetrekking). This marks our 2nd visit to Salt Lake City (we covered their amazing ski resorts last year) so now we're officially SLC fangirls - can't wait to come back for visit 3!⁠
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Drop us a comment and tell us about a place that surprised you the way Salt Lake City's beer scene surprised us!⁠
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Our trip was sponsored by @visitsaltlake⁠
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#visitsaltlake #saltlakecityutah #beautahful #exploreutah #travelislove #globecouples #streetartaddicted #streetartistry #craftbeerlife #beeroftheday #beertasting #seeyououtthere #couplesofig
  • 🎵Whooo is that girl I seeee, staaaaaring straight, baaaaack at me? When will my REFLECTTION SHOOWWWWW, WHOOO III AMMMMM
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🎵INSIIIIIIIIIDE!!!!🎵
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Welp now that we're all singing Mulan at the top of our lungs and I have your attention... I'm gonna talk about sustainability. (HA! Gotcha.) One of the ways Jeremy and I try to make a positive impact – along with things like carbon offsetting our flights and working towards a zero-waste household – is through conscientious consumerism. Cuz yes, y’all: we tree-hugging granola-eating flower children love shopping, too. We try to vote with our wallets and support businesses who have the same priorities as we do. Businesses who care about the world and the people in it, who are working to fight climate change, who pay their employees a fair living wage, who are aligned with our values, and who agree that Mulan is the best Disney movie of all time (DO NOT @ ME).
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So when @REI asked us to create a sponsored sustainable gift guide, we were thrilled! REI is one of our absolute favorite earth-friendly, responsible, and sustainable companies. They truly walk the talk, with a plethora of impactful business practices that prioritize everything from wilderness conservation, to making the outdoors more accessible and diverse, to developing products with sustainable materials, to reducing waste in their stores and supply chain. (#ad but also like, we genuinely love them and have been members for yearsss!) You can even filter REI’s online search results by sustainability. It’s one of their regular menu filters, like color/price/sizing. Isn’t that rad?
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The eco-friendly gift guide we created is not only full of sustainable products, but they're sold by a sustainable retailer. So you can truly feel good about treating your loved ones (ahem: or yourself) this holiday season. Or just like, whenever. Check it out in the link in our bio, but fast because the Gear Up Get Out sale ends on MONDAY along with up to 30% off!
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Who's your favorite sustainable company or retailer and why do you love them? We love discovering new ones! (Sustainability shoutout to @prana, whose outfit I'm rocking in this pic - we love them too!)
  • What's your relationship like with your body? Does someone close to you feel differently about their own body? How does that affect you?⁠
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Jeremy and I have two very different relationships with our bodies and ourselves, which can be difficult to navigate - especially when one of us feels more confident and comfortable than the other. Over the years, things have evolved and shifted, so we've done our best to be a constant source of love and stability to each other no matter what may be happening internally. But amazing and supportive loved ones can't always affect your relationship with yourself - that's a personal journey that only you and yourself are on. Y'all in that together.⁠
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What we've learned is that communication and empathy between us is key. Our relationships with ourselves are as important to foster, nurture, develop and grow as our relationship with each other. And its just as important to treat ourselves with love, kindess and support as it is with one another. On the days when one of us feels more confident than the other, we strive to lift up those positive feelings and try not to let them affect us negatively - not always the easiest thing to do, but so, so important!⁠
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Do you struggle with your relationship with yourself? Or is there somebody in your life who feels differently about themselves than you do about yourself? How do you navigate that?⁠
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Psst: Lia is rocking an organic cotton dress (with POCKETS) gifted to us by @wearpact, one of our favorite Fair Trade Certified & sustainable clothing companies! They make super comfy and affordable organic cotton clothes ethically and responsibly, and we love them.⁠
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#responsiblefashion #consciousconsumer #shopethical #plusisequal #allbodiesaregoodbodies #autumnishere #fallingforfall #sanfranciscolove #bayareablogger #effyourbeautystandards #bodypositive #globecouples #sustainabletravel #staycurious #couplesofig #travelislove #marriedtomybestfriend #lovegoals #couplestravel #seeyououtthere
  • It rained a LOT during our trip to New Orleans. But I actually didn't mind at all, because California has turned me into the kind of person who gets REALLY excited about rain. Rain in California means fire season is over and winter has begun. It's my favorite sound to listen to while falling asleep. Y'all, is there a song that's the exact opposite of "I Can't Stand the Rain?" Because that would be my song!.⁠
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I also didn't mind the rain because I was exploring a beautiful city with 2 of my best friends (@witchieriche and @cass.love.creativity) and our partners, and that's a rare luxury that overshadows any kind of discomfort. (Even though we all definitely got cranky from time to time because it is literally impossible to spend 4 days traveling and NOT get cranky at some point, and that's just facts.⁠)⁠
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To capture this photo, I dragged my beloved friend Richie and his darling, patient husband @lucasmeyerstyle to City Park to visit the NoLa Art Museum, which is called NoMa. We made fun of historic art for like 2 hours (like, we appreciated it too, but we definitely made fun of it as much as we appreciated it) and then spent another 2 hours wandering around a giant, lush statue garden in the pouring rain looking for this exact bridge (for the 'gram). We kept crossing over not-as-good bridges and being like "is this it??" but I was like NO IT HAS TO BE THE ONE WITH THE REFLECTION because I am definitely that screechy, extra AF friend.⁠
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We were all about ready to give up on our search when we stumbled by complete chance upon a Cafe Du Monde, somewhat randomly sitting in the middle of this gorgeous rainy park. And then, while enjoying 3 fluffy, powdery beignets (each) we finally found The Bridge - hidden in the trees right next to the cafe!⁠
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If that's not the most New Orleans thing you've ever heard, just wait until I tell you about the rest of our trip, because it involves everything from Voodoo Rituals to Jazz Funerals to a Pirate themed absinthe bar.⁠
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And, by the way, I am sorry I haven't yet posted my stories from that trip - I was too busy savoring the time with my beloved friend muffins. My heart is so, so full.⁠
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Do you love the rain too?
  • 'Tis the season of cheerful cold weather, eating a ton of food, and buying things. Lots of things. Oof, was that your wallet I hear whimpering?⁠
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I wanted to give y'all some tips to keep in mind when the inevitable shopping overwhelm starts creeping in later this month. Save this post for when you're about to spend more than you have in your bank account!⁠
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🎁 Don't buy things hoping they will make you happy. Things & stuff may bring you a little joy, but they won't solve all your problems. If you're feeling down, go take a walk, spend time with a loved one, play with a cute animal, or make an appointment with a counselor for a little mental health check-up. (See also: travel. We love travel a LOT, but it also will not solve all your problems. Or make you a different person. Trust us, we've tried!)⁠
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🎁 Shop local when you can. It supports your home community! See also: supporting small business owners, such as Etsy creators, your friendly local blogger (hayyy!) and that sweet old lady who sells creepy dolls and weird-smelling candles at your local craft fair. Support her, too.⁠
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🎁 Consider buying from fewer online stores to conserve packaging waste. If you can get most of your shopping done in one big order from a single store, instead of buying 1 small thing from 20 different online stores, you'll be saving bubble wrap, boxes, and the gas it takes to ship all those boxes to you. Plus, returns will be easier and require less packaging, too!⁠
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🎁 Don't feel guilty for buying stuff. I know, I sound like I'm contradicting myself here. But listen: give yourself a damn break, especially if you sometimes find it harder to spend your hard-earned money than NOT spend it. Buy a few items you truly think will bring you - or a loved one - a little joy, or make things easier. Don't feel guilty for treating yourself or those you love. Just do it responsibly. Shop mindfully, vote with your wallet, and make choices that you feel genuinely good about.⁠
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Are you planning to do some shopping this month? (We'll be stocking up on stuff for our new house!) Drop us a comment about what you're genuinely excited to buy - or your favorite tips for thoughtful consumerism!

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